[ad_1]
The Cornell Fashion Collective hosted their 39th annual fashion show on March 11, featuring a week of fashion-related events. The creation of the aircraft suit is a craft in itself that requires the knowledge and application of fiber science and garment design.
The CFC club structure is divided into four different levels, with new members working their way up from level one to level four, which is for upperclassmen.
Angela Lane ’24 joined CFC her first year as a Level One member and now serves as the Design Director for Levels Three and Four. In this role, she manages the designers and their collections, conducts weekly checks on their progress, advises members throughout the design process and ensures that their garments are completed by the deadline.
Although Lan didn’t design anything this year, the clothes she made last year required careful and creative fiber science techniques.
“One of last year’s outfits featured tiny cut-out floral designs that were meant to be sewn onto pants personally,” says Lan. “I couldn’t cut each of the tiny flowers about an inch by myself.”
To effectively automate the design process, Lan chose to use synthetic fiber polyester instead of natural fibers so she could laser cut the fabric without burning it. Polyester is also melted on the laser cutting machine, allowing any broken edges of the raw fabric to be sealed.
Lan and other fashion design students learned how to choose the right fabric from professor Kimberly Phoenix, fiber science and apparel design, who has served as a CFC faculty advisor for five years.
Phoenix teaches Fiber Science and Apparel Design 1450: An Introduction to Fashion Design, where students learn about flat patterning, which involves creating two-dimensional patterns on a flat surface, using slips — blocks that follow the natural lines of the pattern.
Phoenix noted that in addition to flat designs, many students are using textiles to create their designs. For example, she adds extra fullness to their clothing to make it look like a puffer coat, while another student says she is blowing leather to add texture to the flat fabric.
“With leather, you have to use a different sewing machine,” said Phoenix. “You have to use a punching machine with a little more power behind it [the fabric]He said.
Leather also needs a needle with knife-like needles on the tip to accommodate the thickness to penetrate the tough fabric and shave off the seam allowance – the distance between the edge of the fabric and the seam line.
Choosing the fabric itself requires scientific and aesthetic forethought, especially as the fashion industry is a major user of the world’s water supply.
“I personally don’t buy anything the way Rayon works. … I don’t want to be someone who adds to that industry,” Phoenix said.
Rayon is a man-made fiber that is chemically produced by breaking down the cellulose found in wood, exposing workers to hazardous chemicals that cause reproductive and nervous system damage.
Phoenix says the fashion industry has created chemically treated and irradiated bamboo fabric and its damage to the planet.
Despite the harmful environmental effects of some fabrics, Phoenix notes that many students are taking sustainable approaches to their designs by repurposing fabrics from thrift stores.
Thinking about the socio-environmental impact of fashion design and production, Phoenix hopes that fashion show attendees appreciate the few minutes on the runway and the many late nights designers spend working on.
“The kids work really hard and there are a lot of long nights in the studio,” Phoenix said. “People think that [the show is] It’s just clothing, but there’s a lot to think about.
[ad_2]
Source link
